


I Will Carry You Onwards

by ConstantConfuse



Category: DRAMAtical Murder
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, M/M, Sickfic, Vomiting, clear being a waifu, general sick grossness, self-indulgent bullshit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-30
Updated: 2014-06-30
Packaged: 2018-02-06 19:40:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1869951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConstantConfuse/pseuds/ConstantConfuse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Koujaku gets a nasty case of the flu during the worst cold and flu season Midorijima has ever seen. Aoba takes care of him, with the help of an unexpected ally.</p>
<p>This is basically just me writing some self-indulgent long sickfic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Will Carry You Onwards

**Author's Note:**

> jfc i FINALLY finished this damn thing! I've been writing this fic on and off since last August. It started as something I would work on while at work on my phone, and then it spawned into this monstrosity. There are parts of it I don't like as much, but I'm done trying to fix it. This is my first DRAMAtical Murder fic, so please excuse any inconsistencies. <3 I tried my hardest to keep them to a minimum.

Winter had finally come to Midorijima. Admittedly, the winters there were mild, the ocean keeping the whole island decently warm even during December. It rarely dropped near 5°C in the Old District. However, it had dropped and stayed there for about a week already and it was getting creepingly colder. People were sniffling and coughing in the streets and the hospital was busier than ever with the influx of cold and flu patients.

Koujaku flinched when the head beneath his hands jerked slightly with a demure sneeze, "Hey now, don't move about like that! You startled me."

The woman in question sniffled sadly, "I'm sorry, Koujaku-san... But I can't help it! I think I'm coming down with a cold..." She batted her eyelashes up at him, "Can't you forgive me?"

Koujaku stilled her head with a gentle hand, snipping lightly at her hair. He was just getting the finishing touches done so he decided to tease her a little. He hummed, "I don't know... I'll have to think about it."

She huffed, "So mean, Koujaku-san!"

He grinned at her face in the mirror, "How about this; I'll forgive you when you're feeling better, alright?"

She blushed hotly, "Y-yes..."

"Good!" A few more practiced snips and he brushed the hair off her shoulders and removed the cloth covering her, "Alright, you're finished!" He admired his work for a second before grinning again, "Yep, perfect!"

The woman began to fawn over him with praise, but he accepted it with only half a mind. It was almost time for Aoba to finish at Heibon, and Koujaku had every intention of meeting him to bring him home. He dusted off his hands and put out his closed sign, much to the chagrin of a group of ladies walking in.

"Koujaku-saaaannn!"

He cringed inwardly from the high pitched squeals of dismay, "Sorry, girls, but I've got somewhere to be. Next time, I promise."

He shooed them from his store gently and shivered at the cold air that blew in. He looked up at the overcast sky, eyes squinted. Going to get Aoba would definitely take some time... He'd need a coat.

A few moments later he was on his way with a light jacket thrown over his shoulders.

\---

"Bye, Haga-san! I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good work today, Aoba-kun. Have a safe trip home."

Aoba grinned over his shoulder as he finally left Heibon. Hectic could not even describe how his day had been. The brat trio had been in rare form today and had almost completely wrecked the store. Poor Bonjin-kun had looked so miserable at the sight once they had finally been chased away. Aoba had stayed almost an hour and a half later than he had intended to help to put the store back together, but he felt it was worth it. He shivered as he stepped outside. The cold assaulted his neck and ears and he almost yelped at the feeling. He still wasn't used to his hair being so short...

"There you are!" Aoba looked up in surprise to see Koujaku loitering nearby. Naturally, a flock of women had gathered around him. When Koujaku's attention turned to him, so did their scorn. He cringed but tried to focus only on Koujaku who pushed off from the wall, "I saw the brats run off. I guess they're the reason you're done so late?"

Aoba shrugged in frustration, "Yeah, they wrecked the store completely... Wait, did you come to pick me up? How long have you been out here?!"

The taller man's eyes shifted slightly, "Not very long..."

Aoba knew that was a lie immediately, "If you saw the brats take off, you've been here for almost two hours!" He looked at him closer; his ears and nose were red from the cold, and he could see an occasional shiver run over his boyfriend's skin, "Holy crap, man... Let's go home before you freeze to death! That jacket is nowhere near warm enough!"

He started tugging on Koujaku's arm and he obediently allowed himself to be pulled along back towards his house, "Hmmm, I guess I am a little cold... I didn't really notice it though."

Aoba looked back at him incredulously, "How could you not notice?! It's cold as hell out here!"

"It's because I was waiting for you."

Aoba's eyes went large and his cheeks went red, "C-can you get any lamer? Geez..."

Koujaku smiled and listened to Aoba grumble the rest of the way home.

\---

Koujaku had to admit he started to really feel the cold when they were almost home. The rapid succession of sneezes that blew out of him caught him and Aoba both by surprise. Aoba almost pushed him into the house, "See, what did I tell you?! Go take a bath and warm up. I'll make something to eat."

He was deposited into the bathroom in a rush. He chuckled when Aoba took off again, "Beni." A small bundle of red feathers came out of his sleeve to rest on his shoulder.

"Yo, Koujaku. Got yelled at by Aoba again, huh?"

"Something like that. Go keep him and his furball company. I'm going to get a nice soak in."

Beni tilted his head, "Alright. Don't stay in too long. You're already not lookin' too good, ya know. Blue isn't really your color." And with that, he took off out of the bathroom.

Koujaku waited until he was gone to lock the door and look at himself in the mirror. He didn't feel bad, but he definitely didn't look great. The walk home had given his skin time to turn a pale hue and he shivered. Being in the heat of his own home made him realize just how damned cold he actually was. He rubbed his hands along his arms and started the water for the bath. It felt like it took forever to heat up properly. He stripped and slid into the tub with a hiss. The water wasn't too hot but it burned pleasantly along his skin. He draped his arms over the side and let his eyes fall closed...

He opened them again to Aoba pounding on the bathroom door, "Mn?"

"Oi, I know you're sleeping in the tub! Get up! It's been an hour!"

It took some considerable effort for Koujaku to rouse himself. He ran a hand down his face and tried to sit up. He shuddered when he moved; the water around him had gone cold and his skin was wrinkled from sitting in it for so long. His arms were tingling from hanging over the edge of the tub the whole time and he groaned, "If you knew I was asleep why didn't you wake me up earlier...?" The water sloshed around as he got out. He wrapped a towel around his waist with shaking hands; he didn't realize he had started shivering.

Once he had the tub drained, he opened the door to see Aoba staring up at him with clothes in hand. He grinned sheepishly, "My bad."

Aoba sighed and gave him a kind smile, "Here. Get dressed before you catch a cold. Dinner's almost done."

He took his clothes from the younger man's hands and leaned down to kiss him on the cheek, "I'll be there as soon as I'm dressed." That earned him a small blush and a nod.

\---

Aoba's dinner was a warm cream stew and it left Koujaku feeling revitalized, yet drowsy. He was relaxing by the window in his room having a smoke with Beni and Ren in his lap when he suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around his neck. Aoba nuzzled his face into Koujaku's neck and murmured, "We should get to bed..."

He chuckled, extinguishing the cigarette, "Well, we could... But that depends on whether or not we're going to be sleeping or not."

A press of lips to his neck, followed shortly by teeth, gave him all the answer he needed.

He gently lifted Ren and Beni and set them off his lap before turning to Aoba and pulling him into a deep kiss.

"Hn... Mmh..."

Aoba's whimpers only drove him on and he pushed him onto the bed, crawling over him to attack his neck. He pulled more delicious sounds from his boyfriend's throat with lips and teeth while his hands inched up his shirt.

Aoba's breath hitched when Koujaku started to pinch and rub his nipples, "K-Koujaku... Aaah..." He squirmed. He was getting hard and his jeans were making him feel awfully restricted.

"Already so excited... Aren't we?" He shifted enough to be able to cup the bulge beneath him. Aoba whimpered again, "I can't... Help it..." He looked up at Koujaku with watery eyes, "Please don't tease me..."

Koujaku felt his heart start to hammer against his ribcage and he felt his face go hot. He was just too damned adorable. He buried his face in Aoba's neck and slid his hands lower, "You are way too cute..."

Aoba turned crimson and swatted him on the arm, "D-Don't be stupid!"

"Haha, I know," Koujaku kissed a trail up his neck to nibble his ear, "But you know it's true."

Aoba merely huffed. It turned into a sweet moan when Koujaku's hand slipped into his pants. He hadn't even noticed him doing that... The older man grinned like a beast.

"So wet already... Don't blame me if I end up not being able to hold back on you."

Aoba arched into his hand, whimpering, "Di-Didnt I ask you NOT to tease me?!" He covered his mouth with the back of his hand to muffle the next noise.

"Sorry, sorry. I'll be nice."

He slid Aoba's pants off his slim hips, taking his boxers with them, and kissed down his stomach. Aoba gasped with each kiss, feeling like heat was spreading from each spot. His cock stood tall with a hint of precum at the tip. Koujaku purposefully kissed past his dick and onto his thigh. Aoba whined loudly and gripped the sheets beneath him, "Dammit, Koujaku! What did I just--" his next words were cut off as Koujaku took him to the back of his throat. He was so engulfed in the sensation he didn't even moan at first. Koujaku's first long suck made him buck and whine, his hands going down to entangle in his long black hair. The older man gagged a little and pinned his lover's hips down and gave him a look. Aoba grimaced, "S-Sorry..."

As if to get revenge, Koujaku set a brutal pace. He pulled back to soak a finger with his own saliva before returning to Aoba's dick. He sucked and bobbed his head quickly, making Aoba yelp and moan and pull his hair. When he slipped the finger inside of him, Aoba cried out. He gave Aoba just enough time to adjust before thrusting the finger deeper into his ass. He spent a good few minutes idly sucking on his cock and stretching him. Aoba was all but thrashing in pleasure.

"Kou... jaku... N-nnn... Ahn!" He felt so close... "Gonna... If you..."

Koujaku pulled away immediately, leaving Aoba devoid of contact. He gripped Koujaku's hair tightly, "N-No!" He panted roughly and writhed, "Koujaku, please, I'm so close...!"

Koujaku's grin grew larger. He thrust two of his fingers deep inside Aoba. The other man yelled in pleasure and arched up off the bed. His cock was dripping precum onto his stomach in globules, and his thighs shook. He gave Koujaku his most pitiful look, "Koujaku... please...!"

"...tch... Oh, all right! I can't say no to that face," he began stripping down. He moved off the bed long enough to get the rest of his clothing off and turned back to see Aoba with condom and lube in hand, "... You little..." He pounced back onto Aoba, taking the items from him and prepping himself and the other man with lubed fingers. The mewls coming from the younger man's throat sent shivers down Koujaku's spine.

Aoba spread his legs obscenely, "P-put it in..."

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Koujaku positioned himself before working his hips forward. Aoba's body accepted his with an obscene sound.

"Haahn!!"

“Hnnnh…” he wasn’t ever sure if he would get used to the heat of Aoba around him. It wasn’t long before he was rutting into his body, lips and teeth all over his neck.

“A-Aaah… K-Kou… jaku… n-not so… hard… hii-aaaah!!” Aoba tossed his head back, eyes rolling back, as Koujaku’s cock hit his prostate with every thrust, “Th-There! Oh god…!”

Koujaku growled and bit lightly on Aoba’s shoulder, panting hard. Sweat dripped down his nose as he focused on pounding Aoba into the mattress. Aoba’s moans got louder and louder, and he eventually wrapped his arms around Koujaku’s neck, nails digging into his shoulders.

“Y-Yes! Aaaaahhh---!” he clenched tightly around Koujaku’s cock, “G-Gonna… so close!”

Koujaku groaned, “A-Aoba… shit…!” With a quick motion, Koujaku pulled out and flipped Aoba over. Before Aoba could protest, he thrust back inside of him. He was gripping Aoba’s slender hips so hard he was sure he would bruise them… but he’d feel bad about that later. Aoba screamed his name in ecstasy and clawed wildly at the sheets, and Koujaku kept thrusting. Their panting and moans echoed through the room.

Just as Koujaku grabbed his dick, Aoba tensed up, his toes curling and his mouth hanging open in a silent scream. Spurts of semen landed on the bed, and he clenched impossibly tight around Koujaku. Koujaku choked, pulling Aoba close and burying his face into the skin at the back of his neck, his hips snapping roughly. His rhythm faltered after a few seconds, “H-Hnnnk… A-Aoba…!!” He shivered as he came, his hands roving Aoba’s chest, one grabbing one of Aoba's hands, and his lips pressing to his shoulders and back.

Aoba had gone limp beneath Koujaku, eyes closed and chest heaving. He only roused a bit when Koujaku pulled away from him to dispose of the condom. He started a bit when he felt a warm dampness on his skin and cracked open an eye to see Koujaku dabbing at his skin with a washcloth. He offered him a tired smile and received one in return. He helped Koujaku dab at the stain on the sheets, but they were too tired to really try and do more than that. With the washcloth tossed carelessly off the bed, Koujaku pulled Aoba into his arms and nuzzled his face into his hair. The younger man pressed his face into his tattooed chest and sighed contentedly. He heard the sleepy murmur just before he slipped off.

“…love you…”

\---

Morning light filtered into the room. Aoba clenched his eyes shut as the light shone into his eyes.

"Mmgh... Stupid cloud... Go back..."

However, the light did not dim again. He groaned and tried to turn over, but he found himself pinned by a heavy arm across his chest. Koujaku was still here? Normally he would've been down at his store by now. Well it wasn't like this was the first time he had decided to play hooky... But he remembered him mentioning that he was going to try and work all week. Suspicious, Aoba craned his neck to get a better look at the hairdresser.

Koujaku looked like he was sleeping peacefully, but his pinched brows were definitely off. Normally he slept with his mouth wide open, snoring happily... But not today. Aoba shifted, trying to get out from under his arm. Koujaku tightened his arm reflexively and brought Aoba in closer, nuzzling against him with a sleepy groan. That was when Aoba knew something was really wrong.

"Koujaku?"

His body temperature was high. Aoba didn't even need a thermometer to tell that. He watched Koujaku's eyes open slowly.

"Aoba..."

The pitiful sound of Koujaku almost whispering his name made Aoba's heart clench. He sounded miserable. Aoba quickly turned over and cupped his face in his hands. It was hot to the touch and Koujaku leaned into them; His hands must have been cold.

"Have you felt like this all morning?" He asked with a concerned tone. He got a solemn nod. This close to him, he noticed the dark circles forming under Koujaku's eyes, "...Did you actually even sleep?"

Koujaku was silent for a moment before continuing, "I managed to sleep for a couple of hours, but I woke myself up coughing... I'm surprised you slept through it."

Aoba blushed. He was a hard sleeper after sex, he couldn't help it... He shook it off, "So you've been awake all night?"

"On and off, yeah," he turned into the bed to cough, trying to avoid spraying Aoba with germs. He groaned when he was done, "I felt better than this at first but... Now I feel like complete shit..."

Aoba pressed their foreheads together. Koujaku normally would have pushed him away, since he didn't want him to get sick, but he felt so terrible that he just snuggled closer and wrapped his arms around the slender man.

"I told you so, didn't I? That you'd catch a cold from being outside like that," Aoba knew that the last thing Koujaku wanted was to be scolded, but he had to say it.

"It's not just that and you know it," Koujaku grumped, "A lot of my customers in the past few days were sick with something. It's no wonder I caught it... Heh... Heh..." He ducked away from Aoba to sneeze into the sheets. He blew his nose on them, too.

Aoba pulled a face, "Ewww.... Dude, that's nasty."

"Would you rather I sneeze all over you? We can wash the sheets..." He pulled himself into Aoba's chest again with a small groan, "Fuck, I'm getting a headache..." The dull pounding that was in his head was starting to focus behind his eyes and he shut them tightly. Aoba worried his lip and turned to look at the clock. It was late in the morning, "I'm gonna try and make you something to eat and get you some medicine, okay? Wait, do you even have any cold medicine?" When Koujaku shook his head with a mumbled 'probably not' he sighed, "That means I'll have to go get some... Will you be okay on your own for a bit?" The head against his chest gave a drowsy nod. He slipped out of Koujaku's grasp and tucked the blanket further around his shoulders, placing a gentle kiss against his warm temple. Before he left he soaked a cloth in cold water and placed it on the sleeping man's forehead to hopefully alleviate some of the fever.

As he was leaving, Beni fluttered up to him, "Oy, how is he?" Ren perked.his head up from where he was on the couch.

Aoba looked a little surprised, "You already knew he was sick? I thought you both were in sleep mode."

"Who the hell do you think made him skip out on work, huh? I knew something was off with him. He woke us both up to tell us to let you know he went on ahead, and I said hell no buddy!" Beni's feathers ruffled as he hopped about on Aoba's shoulder, "He almost walked out, but I dive bombed him! That got him to sit his sorry ass back down."

Ren sighed, "Once Beni had knocked him over, he realized that he wasn't feeling right and returned to the bedroom and has been there since."

Aoba sighed in disbelief, "Beni, I can't believe you would dive bomb Koujaku..."

"Oi, it was for his own good! That's the only reason I did it!" Beni insisted.

"I know, I know. It's probably a good thing you did it, but still. Anyway, I'm going to take Ren with me and go get some medicine for him. We'll be back as soon as we can," he picked up Ren and placed him in his bag, "Let me know if anything changes!"

"Will do!"

\---

It took roughly an hour to get to the pharmacy and back. Beni had contacted them briefly to let them know that Koujaku was up and about. Aoba yelled at him to make him lay back down, but Beni said that he had merely relocated to the couch after putting on some clothes. Aoba decided to let it slide. He wasn't going to fault him for that. His face was red from the cold when he walked in, the medicine tucked into the bag with Ren.

"I'm back!"

Beni flew to greet him, "Welcome back, Aoba!"

A somewhat hoarse Koujaku also greeted him from the small couch, "Welcome back..."

Koujaku's living room wasn't really something to brag about, but it was comfy. It was connected to the kitchen, which looked out over it. A small, low table with cushions around it was where they usually ate. Koujaku's couch was somewhat small and was placed in front of a modest sized TV set with only a DVD player beneath it on its stand. The coffee table was between the two. The whole room was decorated similarly to the bedroom, but it definitely looked as if the majority of the effort went into his own personal quarters.

Aoba came inside and shut the door hastily, "I heard some people say that it might snow tonight," He mentioned while hanging up his coat and pulling off his shoes. He let Ren out of his bag and fished out the smaller paper bag that had the box of cold and flu medication.

"Is that so..." Koujaku rumbled before sneezing violently into his blanket. He sniffled pitifully as Aoba approached him, holding the box out to him. Aoba looked him over; he was a right mess. His hair was disheveled and his nose was red and runny. The dark circles that had been threatening to form were more visible now, and he was pale and his skin looked clammy. His hands shook as he fumbled with the box, trying to get it open. When he finally succeeded, Aoba was coming back to the couch with a glass of orange juice. He didn't give it to him just yet.

"Hey, don't take those yet! I forgot that you need to eat something first," at Koujaku's congested groan, he rolled his eyes, "We have some of that cream stew left over from last night, I'll heat you up a little, okay?" He went back to the kitchen, making a decent amount of noise as he prepared the dish for Koujaku. He came back carrying a small gently steaming bowl of the stew and the glass, and this time he did give both to the ill hairdresser, "Go ahead, eat up. Take the medicine now, too."

Koujaku stared at the bowl like it had offended him somehow. With that continued expression, he swallowed the pills with a gulp of juice, wincing slightly as the acidic juice stung a slightly tender patch in his throat. He returned to looking at the bowl before he finally rasped, "Do I have to eat it...?"

Aoba huffed and sat next to him, "You don't have to eat all of it, but at least try. You'll feel worse if you don't." Aoba watched the older male reluctantly take a tentative mouthful of the stew. When he was convinced that it wasn't going to reappear, he continued eating. He only ate about a third before he set it on the coffee table and leaned on Aoba's shoulder with a pitiful sniffle, "Thanks, Aoba..."

Aoba smiled and wrapped the sick man in his arms, "It's what you would do for me," was all he said in return. They sat like that for a while with the only noise being Koujaku's slightly congested breathing. Beni and Ren eventually joined them in Aoba's lap. Koujaku had started to doze off when Aoba gently roused him, "Hey... If you're gonna sleep, let's get you into bed then."

" 'm fine here..." was the sleepy whisper in return. Aoba gently pressed his wrist to Koujaku's forehead; he was still warm, but the medicine was definitely working. He decided that staying here couldn't hurt. He reached for the control for the heater and turned it onto a comfortable level and wrapped the blanket around Koujaku better. He shifted, an idea coming to him. He managed to shift under Koujaku so that the older man was laying with his head on his chest and the blanket was covering both of them nicely. He reached for the TV remote and turned it on, knowing he wasn't going anywhere any time soon. He didn't even fight it when he began to doze off, enveloped in warmth.

\---

Aoba was woken up by a panicked, slightly mechanical and high pitched voice in his ear.

"Aoba! Get up, Aoba!"

"Wh-wha...? Ren? Beni? What's goin' on?" he tried to sit up, but the blanket was so heavy... And hot! Man it was way... Too hot. A strangled whimper near his neck brought him out of his sleepy stupor. He could feel Koujaku's hot breath on his neck in short puffs, and he struggled to sit up, "Shit, how long was I asleep?!"

Ren, perched precariously on the back of the couch, answered him immediately, "Only a few hours, but Koujaku-san..."

The little frantic figure bouncing about next to Ren finally registered as Beni, "He's gettin' worse! You gotta help him, Aoba!"

Finally getting his brain into gear, Aoba looked down at the shivering hairdresser. A thin sheen of sweat covered his pale face, plastering his hair to his skin. He felt hot to the touch, and his breathing was more congested than before. He had to get him to bed... This was no place to sleep, and he knew it. Guilt suddenly gnawed at his chest for letting himself be sweet talked into staying on the couch.

"Koujaku... Hey, Koujaku. C'mon, wake up," he was lightly slapping his cheek, trying to rouse him just enough to get him onto his feet, "You gotta wake up! Hey!"

Koujaku coughed miserably as he came back into consciousness with a shaky breath, "Ao...ba...?" His fever glazed eyes stared back into Aoba's weakly, "Where...?"

"Your couch. Let me up, I'll help you into bed, okay? I'm gonna get you more medicine, too."

Koujaku flopped his head back onto Aoba's chest with a whine, "I-I'll... t-try..." He gathered his trembling arms underneath himself and pushed himself into a very shaky kneeling position. Aoba slipped out from beneath him quickly and supported him as he shifted into a sitting position. The.man's breathing was nothing but heavy pants and the occasional cough, "Urgh... F-feel so shitty... fuck..."

Aoba grimaced sympathetically, "I bet... c'mon, can you stand?" He stood up and tried to help Koujaku stand. His knees shook violently and he had to put almost his full body weight onto the smaller man, "Sorry... Aoba..."

Aoba gasped when he almost fell from his weight, "Holy... No, it's fine... Okay, one step at a time. Come on..." He felt his own knees shaking under his lover's weight, but they took the first few steps towards the bedroom successfully.

Halfway there, Koujaku groaned, "Dizzy... Feel... Gonna puke... Mmgh...!"

Aoba paled as he saw Koujaku turn paler... And a little green, "Sh-Shit! Don't puke on me!! This is revenge for Platinum Jail, isn't it?!" Of course he didn't really mean that last bit, but it sure seemed like it was karma coming back to get him.

Aoba frantically tried to change direction for the bathroom, but it was too late. Koujaku's knees shook and buckled, taking Aoba with him as he regurgitated everything in his stomach onto himself and Aoba's pants. He lay exhausted on top of Aoba, his eyes closed.

Aoba tried to push him off, but whenever he moved he could feel the squish of the vomit on him and it made him shudder. He was trying so hard to not puke himself, "Oh my god... Someone help... Anyone...!" He whined. He was resigning himself to lay on the puke-covered floor until Koujaku was able to move again...

But then he heard a muffled voice.

"Master! Did you call, Master?"

He looked towards the window in disbelief. Hanging upside down from the roof so he could look inside was Clear. Aoba had never been so happy to see anyone in his whole life!

"Clear! Oh thank god, you have the best timing! Beni, open the window and let him in!"

"He could just come in the front door, ya know!" Despite having said that, he flew to the window and pulled at the lock until it came open. With a grace Aoba didn't know he had, Clear swung into the living room, humming cheerfully behind his gas mask, "I heard Master calling, so I came!" He approached the two on the floor, head cocked, "Oh, but maybe I shouldn't have... Master and Koujaku-san are being intimate, how bold!"

Aoba felt his cheeks go red, "You idiot, it's not like that! Get him off me first and I'll explain-- ah, be careful! He's covered in... Yeah," Aoba couldn't even bring himself to say it, "Be careful not to get it on your coat. Just... Sit him up, ugh what a mess..." He felt his stomach churn when he looked at the mess, "I'll be right back, Clear... Just keep him there."

He got to his feet carefully while Clear held the semi-conscious Koujaku up, but at arm's length. Aoba could just imagine the face beneath the mask, now that he realized what the other man was covered in and it made him smile grimly to himself. He ran back to the bedroom, stripping out of the soiled pants as he went. His shirt was blessedly spared from the mess, so he pulled on a pair of Koujaku's clean pajama pants. He had to roll the legs up and tie the drawstring as tight as possible, but they fit... mostly. He grabbed new clothes for Koujaku as well, tossing the nasty pants into the hamper to be washed later. He came back into the living room and was a little shocked by what he found.

Koujaku had been stripped of the dirty clothes and was propped up, wrapped in his abandoned blanket, on the couch with Ren in his lap. He still looked out of it, but his hands threaded shakily through Ren's blue fur. Clear had managed to find paper towels and was busy cleaning up the disgusting mess. Aoba swallowed heavily as the smell of sick hit him; he was briefly envious of Clear's gas mask as the smell made him nauseous all over again. He saw that Koujaku's soiled clothes had been set aside in a neat pile and he sighed in appreciation. He wasn't sure how he could've handled this if Clear hadn't just... appeared like he usually did.

"Clear, let me take care of that," he said over his shoulder as he approached Koujaku, "You've definitely done enough to help me out."

Clear shook his head, "It’s fine. This stuff obviously makes Master uncomfortable so it's no trouble for me to clean up at all! Besides, I think Koujaku-san would be more comfortable with you helping him than me." He turned to look at the two of them, and Aoba could've sworn the mask had a smile on it... But then again, he could never tell with Clear.

"Still..." Clear shook his head and went back to mopping the mess up and Aoba decided to not press the issue. He turned his attention to the ill hairdresser. Koujaku looked up at him as he stepped closer with a pitiful expression of pain, misery and shame. Aoba felt his heart clench. He set the clothes down on the coffee table and pulled Koujaku into his arms, "It's okay. It happens."

The older man's forehead rested on Aoba's chest, but after a moment his arms slid up from where they were in his lap and wrapped around his skinny frame. He nuzzled his face into Aoba's shirt, "Mmn..." The blanket slid down his shoulders, revealing his tattoos to the slightly cool air of the room. Aoba rubbed his shoulders lightly, his fingers dancing across the petals of the flowers on his back. He patted his shoulders gently, "Okay, let's get you into some fresh clothes and get you into bed," he reached behind him and grabbed the clothes and handed them to Koujaku, who held them with trembling fingers. Aoba cocked his head a little in inquiry, "Need any help?" Koujaku shook his head and pulled the loose shirt on. He wiggled out from under the blanket to put on the pants and Aoba blushed. He was commando, but he didn't seem to notice or particularly care. He got the pants on with minimal difficulty, but then he lay back against the couch, panting.

"Koujaku...?"

"Sorry... Stomach hurting.... sec..." His eyes clenched shut as he rode out the pain. He opened his eyes to Aoba offering him a glass of water.

"Here. Drink a little, okay?"

Koujaku did as he was told to Aoba's obvious relief and sipped at the water until he gave it back to him and stood slowly. Aoba quickly moved to support him, and Koujaku gratefully leaned on him. His bare feet dragged the floor as he lumbered into his bedroom, his arm around the younger man's shoulders. He all but collapsed on the bed and rolled onto his side, coughing painfully. Aoba pressed his hand to his neck, "Your fever is still high. Sleep for a while, okay?" He got a slight nod in response. Clear appeared in the doorway with the blanket in his arms and Aoba took it from him to drape it over Koujaku's slightly trembling form. He tucked it close and sat on the bed.

"I'm going to stay here until he falls asleep," he said, looking at the masked man, "Um... I guess you can make yourself at home?" He wasn't really sure what to offer him, so he figured that would be best. Clear nodded his head, "Sorry for the intrusion!" Aoba refrained from commenting that it was a bit late to say that and instead busied himself with petting Koujaku's hair to try and soothe him to sleep. Clear disappeared into the other room, and left Aoba to watch over the ill man until he finally drifted off.

\---

Aoba emerged from the bedroom no longer than 30 minutes later to the sound of activity in Koujaku's small kitchen.

"Clear?" He craned his head to get a better look into the kitchen. Clear was humming away happily behind his gas mask while chopping away at whatever was on his cutting board. Hearing Aoba's voice made him look up.

"Ah, Master, good timing! Could you please stir the pot on the stove?"

"Huh?" Aoba blinked, not expecting the request, "Oh, sure..."

Clear turned back to what he was chopping. Now that he was closer, Aoba saw that it was vegetables. He picked up the spoon and stirred the pot full of clear yellow liquid; the smell was absolutely divine.

"Is this chicken soup?" He was noticing that there were chunks of white meat in it as well.

"Yes! It is a recipe that my grandfather taught me when he was ill once. It's very nutritious and tasty. And..." he paused his chopping to throw away the unnecessary parts of the vegetables, "If Koujaku-san can't eat the whole soup, we can serve him only the broth."

Aoba moved aside as Clear added in the vegetables. He was pretty impressed, "Wow, Clear, you're amazing... I could never have made something like this."

"I could teach it to you if you would like me to."

"Sure. I'd love to learn it!"

Clear nodded, "It's really easy actually..."

They spent the rest of the morning finishing up the soup. Clear wrote down all the steps for Aoba, and he even drew cute little pictures to go with it. It took about half an hour for the soup to finish, and by then the sun was starting to set. Aoba made a quick check on Koujaku, finding him deeply asleep. He sighed in relief, glad to see the medicine working.

They ate together, chatting a bit. The Allmates joined in the conversation as well. They cleaned up the dishes together once the meal ended and they put aside a small bowl of the broth for Koujaku. Aoba sat on the couch heavily once they were done.

"Haaah... Clear, I really just can't thank you enough... if you hadn't shown up I would be in some deep trouble."

Clear perched next to him, seemingly staring at the blank TV through his mask, "It was no trouble at all, Master. I was more than happy to help."

Aoba gave him a tired smile, "I know. But, I mean it. Thank you." He gazed at his coil, checking the time, "It's pretty late... I'll see if I can't get Koujaku to eat anything. I think I've got it from here, so you can head home now if you want?"

Clear hummed, unsure, "I'm not sure if that's a good idea, Master... what if he falls on you again?"

Aoba gave him as reassuring a smile as he could muster, "I'm positive, Clear. I think I can handle him now."

Clear still seemed uncertain, but he nodded anyway, "If you're sure. I'll come back tomorrow though, and the next day, too!" He tilted his head and Aoba got the impression he may have been smiling beneath his mask, "Just in case."

Aoba scowled, "Hey, you don't have to do that..."

"No, I insist!"

The smaller man was too worn out to really argue, so he conceded with a reluctant sigh, "Fine... I'll see you tomorrow then."

He saw the masked man out and shut the door behind him, wishing him a safe trip home. Running a hand absently through his short hair, he wandered back to the living room. The Allmates were nowhere to be found, but he had an idea where they might be. He picked up the bowl of broth that was set aside and stepped into the bedroom.

The room was lit softly by the floor lamp by the bed. Aoba didn't remember turning that on... two small shapes immediately caught his eye. The red one was nestled next to a barely conscious Koujaku's cheek, and the blue one was snuggled against his torso. Koujaku's hand was gently caressing Ren's fur, and the other one was gently petting Beni's head. He got close enough to hear him whisper hoarsely, "... 'm gonna be okay... Aoba's takin' care of me, after all..."

"I'm glad to hear I have your vote of confidence," He sat down on the bed, turning so he could position himself near Koujaku's head, "How're you feeling?" He balanced the bowl on his knee so he could press his hand to Koujaku's forehead; it was still hot.

Koujaku turned his head wearily towards his hand, "Aoba..." his eyes closed, "Head hurts... throat hurts... ev'rythin' just hurts..."

Aoba frowned, "This sounds more like the flu than a cold. You hungry at all?" He huffed when Koujaku slowly shook his head, "Well, you still need to eat something. Let me take your temperature first." He had left a thermometer on the wide window ledge when he had been in here before alongside the medicine he had bought. There was also a glass half full of water that had been full the last time Aoba had seen it. At least he was thirsty. He uncapped the thermometer and waited for it to ready before putting it beneath the other man's tongue. They waited patiently, the only noise being Koujaku's congested and muffled coughing fit, when the device finally let out a beep. Aoba took it and frowned at the result, "39.7°C... definitely not a cold." He capped it again before asking, "Can you sit up at all?"

"Mm-mmm..." that was a clear negative... but, Aoba didn't want to accidentally spill the soup all over Koujaku, "Here, let me help you up. Otherwise, this is gonna get messy."

Koujaku groaned in protest, but he let Aoba help him sit up with one of the large pillows resting behind his back. Aoba showed him the clear broth of the soup, and he grimaced, "Do... I have to...?"

Aoba just glared at him and wrapped Koujaku's clammy hands around the bowl. It was still a little warm, but not too hot. He let go when he was sure Koujaku wasn't going to drop it, "Just drink it. You don't even have to drink all of it. I just don't want to give you more medicine on an empty stomach."

Koujaku couldn't argue with that, so he shakily lifted the bowl to his lips and sipped the broth. He could barely taste it, but it sat easily on his still roiling stomach. The amount of effort it took to lift the bowl to his lips dug at him in the back of his mind, but he pushed it down; he was sick, it wasn't like he couldn't do this normally, there was no need to feel that way. He managed about half the broth before he handed it weakly back to Aoba. The blue haired man was impressed since he hadn't expected Koujaku to eat that much... hopefully, it wouldn't make another appearance. He handed him a dose of the medication and the glass of water and watched him carefully when he took it. His appearance definitely hadn't improved... he was still pale as a sheet, and his hair was sticking to his neck and face from the sweat on his body. He suddenly hunched over as a rough coughing fit wracked his body. He covered his mouth the best he could with his blanket and Aoba cringed at the wet coughs as he rubbed his back and shoulders to try and help ease the fit. Aoba looked around and grabbed a nearby box of tissues and offered them to him, which he accepted gratefully. He coughed into one roughly and dropped it in the trash can that Aoba had quickly fetched.

"Thanks..." he sniffled and grabbed another tissue to blow his nose on.

"Don't mention it... I have a bit more cleaning up to do, but I think I'm gonna turn in afterwards. I shouldn't be too long."

Koujaku slid back down to lay on his side, "Mmn..." Aoba pulled the blanket farther up to his shoulders and rose up to tidy the kitchen.

\---

He came back to the room to an amusing sight.

Ren was pinned against Koujaku's chest, wiggling to try and free himself. He looked at Aoba with pitiful eyes, "Aoba... please get me out." Aoba had to stifle his laughter so he wouldn't wake Koujaku, "H-How did you even get there?"

The poor Allmate wriggled more, "I had been lying next to him when he grabbed me like this. Please help. He's drooling on me."

Aoba bit his lip to quiet his giggles and carefully tried to pry Ren from the ill hairdresser's grasp. He got him to relinquish Ren, but at a price...

"Wah!"

Koujaku had grabbed his wrist and yanked him into the bed with him. It wasn't a particularly strong pull, but it caught him off balance. Ren leaped from Aoba's arms to the bed to avoid being caught between them as Koujaku pulled himself into the smaller man's chest.

Aoba squirmed, flustered, "K-Koujaku? Hey... I-I haven't taken a bath yet, so I probably smell..."

"Can't smell anythin' anyway..." he rasped against his shirt, "Jus' for a bit... please."

Aoba wanted to protest, he really did. He just couldn't find it in his heart to do it. So, he pulled Koujaku even closer and wrapped his arms around him, stroking his hair. He felt the larger body in his arms relax, "Go to sleep... I'll be here." He placed a tender kiss on his hot forehead and brought the blanket around both of them.

He stayed awake until he heard Koujaku's breathing slow to an even pace and his grip on him relaxed. He slipped out of his grip for a moment to change into more comfortable sleeping clothes, but he quickly wiggled back into his grip.

He didn't sleep much that night; Koujaku's sporadic rough coughing and his own worry kept him alert. Koujaku slept, but restlessly, haunted by fever dreams. Aoba had to wake him up and soothe him from some of them when his fever would fluctuate. Several times during the night he got up and soaked the washcloth with ice water to try and ease the fever, as well as partially rousing the larger man to make him drink something. Granny always tried to keep him hydrated whenever he got sick, so he was doing the same for Koujaku. He would always drift off while gently petting his lover's hair, only to jerk awake at the smallest sound or movement. He watched the room lighten as the sun started to peek over the horizon, and that was the last thing he remembered until Clear came back the next morning. Of course, he seemed to have an aversion to entering like a normal, sane person... and he nearly scared Aoba to death when he peeked into the bedroom windows.

"Master, I'm here to make breakfast!"

"For the love of God, Clear, come in the front door!" He hissed vehemently after recovering from the shock. He had jumped roughly, and that had woken up Koujaku. He shifted and groaned, face twisting in pain and discomfort. Aoba turned to him in a panic, "Koujaku, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up! Are you alright? What hurts?"

"Whole body..."

Aoba reached up to grab the thermometer, "Here, open... I'll get you some more broth so you can take the meds after this." Koujaku took the thermometer under his tongue and Aoba stood, "One second." He fished the rag from under the pillow and tossed it in the steadily growing laundry pile and disappeared to the bathroom, returning shortly with another wet one. Koujaku shivered as it hit his hot skin, but groaned at how good it felt. The device beeped shortly afterward.

"Well, your fever's gone down a bit, that's good..." he watched as Koujaku burrowed himself further into the blanket before rubbing his eyes tiredly. It was going to be a long day... but, maybe with Clear here, he could catch a quick power nap later... it was definitely something to strive for. He leaned over and pressed his lips to the feverish man's head, "I'll be back.”

He slid out from under the blankets and stretched stiffly. He could already hear Clear banging around a bit in the kitchen. He picked up Ren and carried him into the living room.

"Master, this is for Koujaku-san," The masked man placed a bowl of the soup broth and a glass of water on the counter, "I warmed it up already. Breakfast will be ready in a bit."

Aoba blinked, still amazed by the strange man, "Eh... thanks." He set Ren, now activated, on the floor so he could carry the meal.

It was a challenge, but Aoba got Koujaku to eat and take his medicine. He fell back asleep shortly. Aoba brought the dishes back to the kitchen just in time for breakfast to be finished. They ate and chatted about nothing in particular, and eventually cleaned up after the meal. A knock on Koujaku's door startled them.

When Aoba opened it, the familiar worried faces of some of the Beni-Shigure members greeted him.

"You guys...! Why're you here?" He looked around at them, "Did something happen?"

One of them spoke up, "No, but...! Is Koujaku-san alright? We heard he was really sick..."

"Yeah, we're worried. The customers at his shop are, too."

"Aoba-san, can we come in and see him?!"

Aoba grimaced from the flurry of conversation, "Ahaha... ahh... no, you can't come in. I'm sorry, guys. He just fell asleep a little while ago and he really needs his rest. I'll tell him you stopped by, though. And, don't worry. He'll be fine."

It took him a good long while to convince the group that Koujaku was in fact alive, and no he didn't have pneumonia, thank god, just the flu, and yes he would recover. He dropped onto the couch, exhausted, once they were gone, "Ugh..." he leaned back and closed his eyes; his head was pounding...

"They were quite the lively bunch, weren't they?" Aoba jumped at the voice behind him; he had completely forgotten that Clear was there...

"Haaah, you can say that again..." he rubbed his eyes tiredly, "I'm exhausted..."

"You can take a nap. I think it will be fine if you do, and you don't want to get sick either, do you?"

Aoba sighed and leaned back into the couch, eyes closing unconsciously, "Yeah... take care of things for me, Clear..."

And that was the last thing he remembered before sleep took him.

\---

Aoba was roused by the sensation of a hand playing with the short strands of his hair. He grumbled and tried to turn away, burying his face into a pillow--- wait. When did he get a pillow? And the couch... feels a lot wider. He heard a raspy chuckle above his head… he opened his eyes and squinted upwards in the dim light.

Koujaku was sitting up, reclined on pillows, next to him. He was smiling with his hand still on his head, “Morning.”

“…you still sound like shit,” Aoba sat up and rubbed his face tiredly, “When did I come in here…? What time is it?” the light filtering into the room was a faded orange-red, so he could assume it was late. He looked at his coil to see what time it was. It was about dinner time.

Koujaku coughed out a small laugh and rasped, “Well… Clear brought you in here before he left. He said that he’d be back tomorrow, since it was getting late.”

He rubbed his neck tiredly and felt it pop beneath his fingers, “Ugh… I see.” He turned and looked at Koujaku once he was done with his coil, “Are you hungry?”

Koujaku shook his head slowly, but he cut Aoba off before he could protest, “Clear made me eat before he left. I’m feeling a lot better now, but he insisted on the broth,” he sighed softly, leaning back against the pillows further. His eyes had fluttered shut, but opened when a cool sensation rested on his face. Aoba’s hands were pressing against his cheek, then his forehead, and finally his neck.

“You’re still warm, but you’re definitely cooler. I guess your fever broke. How long have you been awake?”

“Since Clear left you in here, so about an hour?” he was looking drowsily at Aoba, his energy failing him. Aoba smiled and kissed his sweaty temple, “Thanks for looking out for me. Go ahead and get some more rest.”

Koujaku gave him a grin—a tired, weary grin, but it was a nice change of expression from how he had been for the past couple of days. He rasped his thanks as Aoba eased out of the bedroom.

The kitchen area looked as if it had been cleaned to perfection, and there was a small note with some jellyfish drawn on it stuck to the fridge with a magnet. Aoba scanned it with a small smile.

_‘Aoba-san, I hope you slept well! There is dinner in the fridge for you. There isn’t much soup left, so I left it for Koujaku-san. I’m going to come back tomorrow, too, just in case. Good night~!’_

_-Clear_

“Seriously… he didn’t have to do that much,” he poked his head into the fridge to find a covered bowl of pasta. Even cold, the seasonings smelled good. He noticed the rest in another larger container in the back corner of the fridge as he was shutting it. He silently sent more thanks to Clear as he heated his portion in the microwave.

He ate his dinner and cleaned up the dishes he had used before heading back into the bedroom. Despite having just slept the day away, he was still exhausted. Koujaku had fallen asleep and was snoring softly, face relaxed and without pain. He climbed onto the bed and cuddled under the blankets with him. He watched Koujaku’s profile as he drifted off.

\---

That night was hell.

Koujaku’s fever skyrocketed again in the early hours of the morning and he was haunted by delusions and horrific coughing. Aoba leapt awake out of a sound sleep to help him through it. He threw up again, though this time Aoba was prepared with a bucket that he hastily grabbed from the kitchen. The younger man stayed awake with the hairdresser, trying desperately to lower his fever. About two hours before sunrise, Koujaku started to finally relax and sleep without fits. Just as the sun was peeking over the horizon, Aoba noticed his fever had dropped considerably.

“Thank god… it finally broke…”

Exhausted from the shock of the sudden reappearance of his fever, he flopped back on the bed with the room spinning from the relief he felt. He shut his eyes for just a moment…

He woke to Clear shaking him awake, concerned about the state of things.

Koujaku was able to hold down the rest of the full soup for breakfast, much to Aoba’s relief. It looked like everything was going to be fine…

“Well, things like this usually have to get better before they get worse. That’s what Granny used to say.” Aoba said while helping Clear clean up.

Clear nodded enthusiastically, “I see! Well, he seems a lot better, so I think it’ll all be fine.”

Aoba laughed, “Hopefully.”

The rest of the day went by without a single incident.

\---

No one was surprised when Aoba came down with the same flu not even two days later. Well, no one except for Aoba himself.

“Uuuugh, this is the worst…” he whined, burying his face beneath the pillows, his head pounding.

Koujaku gave him a sympathetic smile. He still wasn’t 100%, but he was back in action, “Well, I’ll just take care of you now.” He lifted up the pillow to kiss Aoba on top of the head.

“This is all your fault,” he whimpered. There was no malice in his scratchy voice, and the eyes he turned to Koujaku were nothing but pitiful.

“Yeah, yeah.” He chuckled. He pulled his sick boyfriend into his large chest and held him close. Aoba sniffled and snuggled against him.

Not even five minutes later he was asleep with Koujaku petting his hair, a gentle smile on his lips.

“I’ve got your back…”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you can enjoy my bit of self-indulgence~ <3


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